


Doesn't Belong

by Tridentrans



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, i guess?? idk lol, uhhhh i dont know how to use tags im sorry ghh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-10-18 02:59:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17573012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tridentrans/pseuds/Tridentrans
Summary: Donald holds his breath as the gate buzzes and opens to let him in. He drags his suitcase behind him and he looks up at the mansion that he hasn't seen in four years.Oh how he's missed it.





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> sup i have only posted a fic once before and i quickly deleted it so this is new and kindof scary !! sorry if the chapter is short i'm not entirely sure whats an appropriate length. i've had this idea for a while so i started writing it instead of just complaining about how i wanted to write it. I'm not sure what my update schedule will be and if i will have one at all? This isn't beta read either so i'm sorry if there's any mistakes i may have overlooked. uuuuuh thanks 4 reading yea !

He’s been gone for too long. He missed too much of the boys growing up, and he misses too much of his sister. One hour ago, he returned to Duckburg. And twenty minutes ago, he hailed a cab. Now he stands in his uncles driveway He stares up at the mansion that stands before him imposingly. He pushes the buzzer. 

“Hello? Mrs. B?” he asks into the mic. There’s no reply other than the buzz of the intercom and the opening of the front gate. Donald sends a thank you over his shoulder and hopes Beakley will let him keep the element of surprise. He grips his suitcase in one hand, his cane in the other, and he makes his way to the front door. He barely reaches the top step before Beakley opens the door.

“Donald.” she says down at him. She has a smile on her face and he can’t keep the smile off his own face. She steps aside and opens the door wider for him.  
“Is anybody home?” he asks, setting his suitcase down in the entryway, something he knows his uncle Scrooge wouldn’t like.  
“No, not right now,” she says, shaking her head “they’re out, they should be back soon.” She makes her way through the door into the living room and Donald follows her. He grips his cane in both his hands as he surveys the surroundings, looking at what changed while he was gone, and remembering what things have been the same since his childhood stays here. He sits on one of the couches and waits. And he wonders. Wonders if the boys still share one room and he wonders if they left his own room in the same shape he left it in. Four years ago. He sighs and slouches in his seat. 

“Tea, Donald?” Beakley appears in the doorway, a tray already in hand.  
Donald startles a little in his seat “Oh! Yes, yes please,” He stands up to meet her and he takes the tea gratefully. He looks down into his cup and he feels the steam dissipate on his face.  
“Thank you” he says, into the warm cup in his hands rather than the housekeeper standing not even 6 feet from him. She just hums a reply and turns to leave. Donald sits back down and he continues waiting and god. He hates it. He wants to badly to see his family but this is the price he pays for not telling them he’s coming home beforehand. It’s so quiet in the manor and it seems so foreign to him. He feels almost out of place despite the fact he spent so many years of his life here. Almost like he doesn’t belong.

He sips his now barely-warm tea and he scans the pictures on the walls. Photos and paintings that are most likely older than himself sit next to newer photos. New photos of his family. Without him. He quickly downs the rest of his drink and he moves himself up and off the couch so he can feel sorry for himself somewhere else. He wanders throughout the house for who knows how long, looking at photos and paintings, many of them ones he’s seen thousands of time, until he stops in his tracks. He looks longingly upon a group photo of Scrooge, Della, and the boys. The boys. Oh have they’ve grown. It makes him so happy and yet so sad. He sighs and pulls a worn photo out of his pocket without looking. He knows it’s there, it’s been there ever since he left. He unfolds it and spares a glance down at it before a noise spooks him out of his thoughts. 

The door! They’re home! He hurriedly shoves the photo back in his pocket before rushing as quickly as he dares to the front door, ignoring the trouble his leg gives him on the way. He hopes his suitcase didn’t give him away, he shouldn’t have left it out in the open. He makes it to the front living room and he hesitates. For no good reason. But this is quickly forgotten as he sees Scrooge turn the corner, followed by four kids. He can’t contain himself. His family! They’re right here! In front of him! Before he can formulate a proper sentence Scrooge turns his head and looks right at him. He seems at a loss for words and Donald is too. The kids also turn their attention to him, finally noticing someone else in the room. 

They just stare at each other for a while, then suddenly everyone seems to regain their ability to speak at once and there’s a chorus of names being called to family members not seen for too long. Donald can’t stand it and he stumbles forward with his arms outstretched. Everybody else seems to get the memo and they all rush toward him at once. Scrooge gets to him first and almost knocks him off his feet. The boys come next, hugging at his legs and tugging on his sleeves. Donald drops his cane without a second thought and tries to hug them all back at once. He feels so much and he can’t help but cry a little. They seem to stay there forever and Donald doesn’t mind. Scrooge pulls away first and holds him at arm's length, examining him.

“Aye lad,” Scrooge finally says, shaking his head as he does “I’ve missed you.”  
Donald can only nod in reply. He looks around at the boys and he sees they missed him too. He catches a glimpse of Beakley's granddaughter, Webby staring up at him. She’s got his cane in her hands. He takes a half step back from the group and lets out a slightly embarrassed chuckle. She holds it out for him and he takes it. Scrooge and the boys only look at him. 

He clears his throat. “A lot to catch up on huh?” he rubs his own arm. “Wheres Della?”  
He makes his way to the couch. “Is she out on a trip?” No one says anything. Something feels heavy in his stomach all the sudden. He whips around to look at them. Scrooge jolts into action.  
“Donald! So quick to worry… She’s out on a trip, you know how pilots are,” Scrooge explains. Donald rolls his eyes. “I know how my sister is” he responds, and he collapses onto the couch. The boys rush to join him, and Webby follows them somewhat hesitantly. Scrooge stutters a little.  
“Now kids, isn’t it time for you all to head to bed?” They all turn to him and start to voice their complaints.  
“Yea,” Donald interjects, “bed time.” He reaches over and ruffles the feathers of the nearest triplet, which happens to be Louie.  
Scrooge wags his index finger at his nephew. “Ah ah ah, you’re going to bed too, Donald, you look exhausted.” Donald just grumbles and lifts himself back off the couch. Beakley appears to usher the kids to their rooms but they don’t leave until they say goodnight to Donald, and he happily obliges.

Scrooge walks with Donald to get his bag, and he ushers him to a spare room. Not his own room. Scrooge sighs and sets down the luggage when he sees the questioning look on his nephew’s face.  
“I didn’t know you were coming home,” he pauses to throw Donald a somewhat pointed look “so I didn’t have your room fixed up for you. It’s more or less the same as you left it, although possibly more dusty.” Donald just snorts and pats Scrooge on the back with his free hand, and Scrooge opens the door. Donald steps into the room and Scrooge picks up his nephew’s luggage and carries it in behind him. Donald half-turns to face his uncle. Scrooge looks silently at the cane in his nephew’s grasp. Donald shifts uncomfortably.  
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” he almost pleads. To his relief, Scrooge nods and backs into the doorway.  
“We have a lot to talk about. Tomorrow.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeow! ok first i wanna thank the people who left comments on the first chapter.........thats so nice....... and second i wanna thank everbody for reading & such....... epic....  
> i tried to make this chapter longer than the first one? i don't really wanna post short chapters but we'll see...  
> also I'm hoping maybe i can post a new chapter every sunday? but i'm not sure if i'll actually be able to write that fast.. i'm only able to post this chapter now because i finished half of it before i even posted the first chapter lol.  
> but anyway! thanks for reading i hope you enjoy!!

Donald wakes up and for a brief moment he forgets where he is. He sits up and glances around to see one of Scrooge’s many guest rooms, and he remembers the feeling of being out of place. He quickly forgets this though when he remembers that he’s back with his family. Almost. He scoots to the edge of the bed and wonders where his sister is right now. It’s just his luck that she’s gone when he finally comes home. 

 

He slides off the bed and lazily readjusts his sleep-shirt. He opens the door and shuffles his way to the kitchen, not in any real hurry. Before he knew what was happening there was a loud chorus of “Good morning uncle Donald!” as all four kids of the house came running up behind him. He smiles and tried to ruffle some head feathers as they passed, before they disappeared into the dining room. Donald didn’t get much further before Dewey came rushing back into the hallway.

 

“Come on uncle Donald!” He complains, grabbing at Donald’s right hand with both of his “you walk soooo slow! Hurry up!” Donald stumbles behind him, a bemused look on his face. He almost considers slowing down on purpose but he decides that he shouldn’t, as it looks like his nephew is really excited to show him something. Dewey leads him into the dining room, and there the remaining kids sit around the table. On the table there’s a very obviously home cooked breakfast waiting. Dewey shoves him into the seat at the head of the table and then he sits down himself. Donald looks around at the kids, who are all looking very expectantly at him.

 

Before he can get a word out Mrs. Beakley speaks up from the doorway, startling Donald.

“They made you breakfast,” she explains, and he glances down at the food sitting in front of him.

“For me?” Donald asks, raising his eyebrows in surprise. The kids all nod back at him enthusiastically. 

“Granny helped,” Webby adds, thrusting her thumb over her shoulder at the doorway Beakley is currently occupying. Donald makes a noise of endearment and starts to fill his plate. As soon as he moves, the kids immediately allow themselves to dig in as well. Donald is somewhat surprised at how good everything is, and he’s sure they didn’t learn to cook from him. Well. Of course they didn’t. Donald frowns at his plate for a second before being interrupted from his thoughts.

 

“Is it not good?” Huey asks, leaning forward in his seat, a somewhat dejected look on his face. At this all the kids turn to look at him, and he instantly feels bad.

“No no! It’s good! I was just...” he waves his hand around uselessly “thinking about something..else....” he finishes lamely. Huey leans back in his chair, not completely convinced. Donald panics and shoves a forkful of pancake in his mouth as if that would fix the problem. Luckily for him, Beakley interjects on his behalf.

“Your uncle Donald has got a lot on his mind, I’m sure he loves the breakfast you all made for him.” Beakley makes eye contact with Donald, and Donald nods vigorously. He continues eating hoping the kids are properly convinced.

 

Scrooge announces his arrival in the doorway, a newspaper in hand.

“Ah Donald! I see you’ve already gotten breakfast.” He seats himself a few chairs down from the group. “Sorry for my absence, I had some work to do at the money bin this morning.” he states simply, shaking open his newspaper. Beakley sets a cup of tea down in front of him and he easily grabs it without looking. Donald just hums in reply and stands up from his chair. 

“Need something, Donald?” Beakley questions. Donald hesitates and points dumbly at the kitchen door.

“Uh…. Just coffee” he laughs a little nervously “I can get it.” He continues his walk to the kitchen and Beakley just raises an eyebrow at him like she doesn’t trust him with the coffee maker. She’s probably right not to. He makes it to the kitchen and looks around briefly. It’s still basically the same.. Familiar. He makes his way to the coffee maker and starts himself a pot without any difficulty. He sighs and leans against the counter as he waits for it to brew.

 

He hadn’t realized he was spacing out until the coffee maker beeps indigently behind him. He quickly fetches a mug from the cabinet before pouring himself a cup. He finishes preparing his coffee and walks back into the dining room. He sighs when he sees that it’s mostly vacated, the kids having left to do… Whatever kids do. He sighs again before seating himself back at the head of the table, in front of his now cold breakfast. 

“What’re you sighing about over there, lad?” Scrooge asks, after taking a sip of his tea. Donald just shrugs, and looks into his coffee mug rather than answering. Scrooge doesn’t pry.

 

Donald continues to poke his pancake around his plate before he decides he’s finished eating. He stands up and carries his dishes back into the kitchen. Scrooge throws a glance over his shoulder, frowning at his nephew’s retreating back. He folds his paper and sets it on the table, before taking his own dishes into the kitchen, hoping to catch Donald in there before he leaves. Scrooge hurries to the sink, and he speaks before Donald can make his escape.

 

“Got anything planned for today, nephew?” Donald turns to face Scrooge, who pretends to busy himself with the dishes on the counter. 

“Uh” Donald shifts his weight to his good leg “No..” Scrooge only hums in reply before Donald speaks up again “And don’t try to take me on some big adventure just yet..” he chides, leaning on the door frame.

“Oh, of course not,” Scrooge replies, with a wave of his hand, turning to face his nephew as he does so. He had actually considered doing that but he figured Donald wouldn’t appreciate something so exciting so soon after returning home. He was right, of course. Scrooge makes his way to the door where Donald is standing. Donald stands up straight automatically to let him through. Donald remains silent as he watches Scrooge walk past him into the hallway. He figured it would be somewhat awkward when he first got back but this is unbearable.

 

“Do you still have my car?” Donald asks, just wishing to break the silence. Scrooge turns around, slightly surprised. 

“Of course I do! It’s in the garage.” He gestures somewhere over his shoulder, not actually trying to point in the actual direction of the garage. “ I’m sure Beakley knows where the keys are.” Donald just nods. He makes his way back to his bedroom. His guest bedroom. He frowns.

 

Somewhere inside him he feels bad, but he chooses to ignore it. He’s not quite sure what he should do with himself now. He makes his way to his suitcase, surveying his limited collection of clothes. And by limited, he means he’s only got two shirts, only one of them clean. He sighs and wonders what clothes he’s got in his room. In his actual room. He quickly throws on his clean uniform and his hat, as he’d rather wear that than pajamas, and he sets out to find out.

 

He walks through the halls in no particular hurry, until he reaches the stairs he needs to climb up in order to get to his room. He frowns wordlessly at them and he wishes he had brought his cane with him. He climbs them anyway of course, and he navigates the halls, remembering what each door hides behind it until he reached his own. He opens the door to see something almost too familiar.

 

Scrooge wasn’t lying when he said his room was the same as he left it. Maybe more tidied up, courtesy of Mrs. Beakley, but it’s still the same. The drapes aren’t closed all the way, allowing a beam of sunlight in to illuminate the dust motes in the air. He runs his hand absentmindedly over various surfaces in his room until he decides to actually do what he came here to do. He opens a couple of drawers and scoffs at the sailor uniforms they contain. He almost forgot he wore these long before he ever joined the navy. He shoves them aside and pulls some old sweaters and shirts out from underneath. 

 

He tucks them under his arm before heading for the door. Right before he closes the door behind him, he turns to look over his room once again. He looks at all the things he hasn’t seen or touched or thought about in years and he gets the feeling that he doesn’t belong.

 

* * *

 

Donald wasn’t prepared to run into a total of four children at once, but he  _ definitely _ was not prepared to run into a total of four children rushing a decent speed down the hallway. Donald drops his laundry and barely catches himself on a dresser before he topples over, and he almost doesn’t catch the vase he almost knocks over when doing so. Fortunately for him, hes does catch it, and he sighs heavily in relief, clutching the vase in both hands. Who knows how fancy or old or expensive this thing is, he would not like to have been the one to break it. He carefully puts it back before turning to the group of grumbling ducklings that lay before him in an untidy heap. 

 

“What are you in such a hurry for?” Donald says, picking up two of the kids, Louie and Dewey, with ease.

“Sorry uncle Donald!” Is the reply he receives instead of the answer to his question. He sets down the two kids in his grasp as the other two finally pick themselves up off the floor. Donald makes himself busy by picking up his clothes as the kids straighten themselves out.

“We were looking for you!” Huey supplies.

“Yeah! We wanted to know if you wanted to hang out!” Dewey adds.

“Oh…!” Donald hesitates before grabbing his last shirt off the floor. He wasn’t really expecting that. “Well yea..! Sure, I just need to put my stuff away real quick-” his reply is cut short by a chorus of cheers, and he thinks it might be his favorite thing in the world. He had no clue they would want to hang out with him so badly. 

 

He quickly leads them down the hallway to his (guest) room and they follow him single file, as ducklings tend to do. He nudges the door open with his shoulder and dumps his clothes on the bed. They follow him in and watch him try and quickly fold his clothes. He keeps one shirt out to change into, as he’s not sure what kind of activity the kids will want to do, and he doesn’t want to ruin his uniform. He ushers the kids out his room quickly enough and changes into an old red sweater that thankfully still fits him. He hangs his uniform up in the closet rather than putting it back in his suitcase. He’s not sure why, it’s not like he’s gonna stay in that room forever… He shakes his head and joins the kids in the hallway.

 

Dewey grabs at his hand, but he just holds it for the most part, rather than trying to drag him like last time. 

“We weren’t really sure what you’d like to do, so we figured maybe you’d just like to watch a movie with us?” Huey says, as they lead donald into the living room. Donald sits down and watches as the kids argue briefly about what movie they want to put on. At one point they ask him for his opinion on the matter but truth be told, he’s never heard of any of the movies they picked. In the end, they agree upon some cartoon movie that they all like. The kids situate themselves on the couch on either side of him as the movie starts.

 

They end up watching more than one movie and he manages to stay awake the whole time. As the credits begin to roll, he glances out the window and sees through the gap in the blinds that it’s dark out, although he’s not sure if it’s just because it’s wintertime. He almost moves to get up before realizing all four kids are snoozing peacefully, half laying on him. He wonders if he’d be able to get up without disturbing them or if he should just stay put. He shifts a little trying to get a bit more comfortable, deciding that he’s rather just let the kids nap. He watches them for a little while and he can’t believe how much he’s missed them. 

 

He glances over at Webby, who’s nestled up as close to him as the boys are. He figured she’d be like a sister to the boys as they essentially grew up together, but he was worried about whether or not she’d feel excluded for not actually being his niece. He’s glad that that doesn’t really seem to be the case as far as he can tell. He sighs and rests his head back on the couch, closing his eyes for a second. He swears he doesn’t try to fall asleep, but it’s kind of hard not to when he feels so cozy. As he slowly sinks into unconsciousness, he almost forgets the feeling that he doesn’t belong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry it took a while for me to post this idk what happened. someone on tumblr reminded me this existed and i managed to write the whole chapter in a day pff. I hope it's all right! thanks 4 reading !

Donald has only been home for a week and a half but he’s already bored. He tried to take his car out a few days ago but it wouldn’t start. He wondered if it had just sat in the garage neglected for four years, or if it was just his luck that is stopped working when he got back. He supposed he should try to get a job, it’s true he didn’t need to pay anything to live with his uncle, but he didn’t want to press his luck when it came to asking for money. It was annoying how it worked, he needed a job to fix his car but he would need his car to take him to his job. He would have to look in to public transportation, or maybe Scrooge would let him borrow his driver. 

Donald sighed as he lay on his bed. In his room, his actual room this time. He had so much free time he decided to move himself back in (which wasn’t hard, he only had one suitcase). The kids and Scrooge were out on some adventure, Scrooge promised it would be a short one, but to Donald it felt like ages, being alone in the mansion. Beakley had gone with them this time, and even if he didn’t talk to her too much, knowing the mansion was completely deserted made it feel lonlier. Donald was busy thinking of productive things he should be doing, when the doorbell rang.

He sat up. Were they home already? Scrooge had said it would be a short adventure, but this felt too short to Donald. He hopped of the bed and made his way to the front door, the doorbell rang a few more times before he got to it. If it was his Uncle, shouldn’t they have just walked in? They lived here they had no need to ring the doorbell… He walked a bit faster, curiosity getting the best of him. He didn’t bother to look through the peephole before opening the door. On the other side stood a girl, older than the boys were but still just a kid. She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.

“Who’re you?” she questioned, crossing her arms. Donald could tell he was on the receiving end of some sort of attitude but he didn’t pay it any mind.   
“I’m the kid’s uncle” he supplied, absent-mindedly twisting the doorknob as he did. The girl didn’t say anything at first, and Donald recognized the look on her face. She didn’t understand him. He cleared his throat awkwardly before trying again.  
“I’m their uncle, are you a friend of theirs?” she just hummed an ‘mhmm’ as reply.   
“Are they not here? Are you… house sitting or something?” she asked, drumming her fingers on her arm. Donald let go of the doorknob and it clanged as it returned to its original unturned position. House sitting. He shook his head.

“Um… no. I live here now” he scratched the back of his neck “you can come in if you want? They should be back today but I’m not sure when..” He stepped back and opened the door wider, an invitation for her to enter. She thought for a second, glancing behind her before she came inside.  
“So…. you’re their uncle? I think they’ve mentioned you a few times.” Donald just nodded as he closed the door behind her. She made her own way into the living room. Donald wondered how long the kids have known her. He made his way to the doorway.   
“If you need anything you can just ask me… My name is Donald by the way.” The girl ‘mhmm’-ed again in reply.  
“That’s okay, I can..” she waved her hand around vaguely “entertain myself. I’m Lena.” Donald only nodded before backing out of the doorway. 

He walked aimlessly around the halls for a little. Should he just leave her alone? He figured the kids and Scrooge probably trust her, and he didn’t want to make anything any more awkward by bothering her. He wondered how many times she came over and waited for her friends to get back from adventuring. Without thinking, he found himself in the kitchen. With Beakley gone, he would be able to cook something without her intervening… He rummaged through the cabinets looking for the folder of recipes he figured they still had. They were things he used to make, and they usually turned out pretty good when he didn’t cause some sort of accident in the process. 

He chose something simple, chocolate-chip cookies, and he put himself to work, making sure to follow the recipe. Sure, it wasn’t a complicated thing to make, but he hadn’t actually cooked something in a really long time, he was out of his groove. Soon enough though, he was completely absorbed in his work, he forgot someone else was in the house. He was just about to take the last sheet out of the oven when a voice from the doorway made him jump.  
“Whatcha making there?” the girl- Lena, -asked. The metal baking sheet slipped and without thinking he instinctively grabbed at it with his bare hand, effectively burning himself. He quickly and not so gently put it down on the counter, some of the cookies sliding off in the process.

Lena stepped forward, her eyebrows raised in surprise.  
“Woah, sorry..” She held her hands in front of her, like she wanted to help but didn’t know how.  
“Uh… It’s ok! I’m somewhat accident prone. It was bound to happen anyway.” He quickly closed and turned off the oven before he inspected the damage done to his hand.   
“Are.. you sure? Do you need first aid or something?” She peered at his hand.  
“There should be one in that cabinet,” he pointed across the kitchen, and she automatically went to get it. He moved to the sink to rinse his hand off, wincing when he flexed his fingers. Lena approached him holding a white box, ‘first aid’ written neatly across the top.

He turned off the tap and she set it on the counter. She didn’t say anything as she watched Donald try to bandage himself with only one hand.   
“Are you sure it’s okay? That looks like it hurts.” He glanced at her, but she was looking at his hand. He shrugged and started clearing up the first aid kit.  
“It was an accident, things like that happen.” He paused. “It’s not anybody's fault either.” He glanced at Lena again and she only frowned. He busied himself then trying to clean up the mess he made when he basically threw the cookie sheet on the counter. He grabbed a plate to set the cookies on, eating a few of the broken ones as he did so.  
He turned, plate in hand, toward the doorway into the living room.  
“Come on, you can have some if you want.” He exited the kitchen and she followed him wordlessly into the living room. There was a show he didn’t recognize playing on the TV. He set the plate down on the coffee table before selecting a seat for himself. She grabbed a cookie before sitting down herself.   
“What show is this?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.  
“Oh, it’s some show about… ottomans or something. They like watching it… so..” she trailed off, taking a bite of the cookie she had grabbed. “Hey” she said between bites “these are pretty good.” Donald peeled his eyes of the screen and watched as she leaned over to grab another one. He took a bite of his own cookie before answering with a simple “thanks”. 

They both sat in silence for a while, watching the TV, Donald isn’t sure how much time has passed when he hears a thump at the door.  
“I guess they’re here,” he shrugs as he stands. He makes it there just in time to see Scrooge struggle to open the front door with his arms full. Donald snickers and holds it open for him as he struggles to carry some kind of container, presumably treasure they brought back with them. The others make their way through the door as well, each holding some form of luggage. Just as he closes the door he hears an excited shout behind them.

“Lena!” Webby yells, quickly setting her box down on the nearest surface so she can greet her friend. The boys quickly drop their luggage off as well to join her.   
“How long have you been here?” Webby asks, obviously excited her friend is here.   
“Uh, like a few hours,” Lena waves her hand dismissively. “Your uncle makes some good cookies.” Dewey gasps dramatically and turns to face his uncle in the doorway.  
“You made cookies? Did you save us some?” The others turn to face him at this. Donald laughs and nods.  
“Of course I did, and you can have some, only after you finish putting whatever this stuff is away.” the boys groan and get to work, Beakley helping them, meanwhile Scrooge appears in the doorway.  
“Nephew! Your sister is scheduled to call today for a status report.” he taps his wrist as if he was wearing a watch. “Almost time. I don’t know if you want to tell her you’re here or if you want to keep it a surprise, but I figure you want to be present.” Donald nods.

Lena pipes up behind him, startling him slightly.  
“Does your sister not know you’re here? Where were you then?” She raises her eyebrow at him and he doesn’t know how to reply. Before he can properly articulate a response there’s an irate shout of “Donald!” from down the hall. Donald just shrugs sheepishly at Lena before exiting the room to join his uncle in his study. By the time Donald gets there, Scrooge is already on the phone. He puts a finger to his beak indicating to Donald he should be quiet. Donald approaches the phone and catches only the tail end of whatever his sister was saying.

“That’s good, Lass! We’ll be glad to have you back home soon!” Scrooge replies, glancing at Donald. She’s coming home soon! Donald can’t help but feel excited. He gets to see his sister again, after so long.   
“Yeah!” Della’s voice crackles through the speaker. “How are the kids? Good I hope?” she laughs before Scrooge can reply. Donald’s heart feels light. He’s considering giving up his plan of surprising her when she gets home when suddenly his sister’s voice is cut off by a shout.  
“Della? What’s going on?” Scrooge says into the speaker, his voice raising in alarm.  
“The-” she gets cut off by a crackle emitted by the speaker, as if they’re losing connection “something’s wrong with the-” she’s interrupted again by voices on the other side of the line. Her passengers, whoever she was hired to pilot for. Scrooge and Donald only stare at the phone, listening.  
“Stay calm everybody! Quit running around-” the speaker crackles again “Uncle Scrooge! I’m gonna have to call you back!” Scrooge shakes his head despite the fact Della can’t see it.  
“Lass! What’s happening? Are you-” he’s interrupted by a noise from the speaker. Donald can’t tell if it’s interference or an actual noise from Della’s side. They lose connection and the call ends.

Scrooge and Donald both stare at the phone in disbelief. Donald’s mouth is dry.  
“What-” Donald swallows “what just happened… What was that?” Scrooge only shakes his head.  
“I don’t know… Maybe it was just a storm…. That’s why the connection cut out… Nothing she can’t handle…” Scrooge reasons. Donald wants to agree but he can’t help thinking something worse happened.   
“Can you call her back?” Donald implores. Scrooge dials her number again but the only response they get is an automated This Number Can’t be Reached… Donald starts to panic. “What do we…. What are we supposed to do? Wait?” Donald runs his hands through his head feathers nervously. Scrooge dejectedly puts the phone down.  
“That’s all we can do…” he shakes his head “I didn’t have her location… she didn’t have time to give it to me…. I don’t know exactly where she was. We just have to hope she’s alright.”

“What happened…?” a voice from the doorway interjects “What’s going on?” Donald and Scrooge turn to see the boys and Webby standing in the doorway. Lena stands awkwardly behind them.  
“We heard shouting…” Huey begins before being interrupted.  
“What happened to our mom? Dewey asks, fear in his voice. Donald feels like his heart is going to get ripped in two.   
“We… we don’t know. We lost contact with her plane.” Scrooge finally supplies, after what seemed like ages of silence. The kids don’t take it well. Why would they? It’s their mother. He can’t seem say a thing. He only watches as his nephews turn and run in the direction of their rooms. Webby does the same soon after, leaving Lena standing alone in the doorway. Scrooge only looks at the floor.

Lena makes eye contact with Donald. She doesn’t say a word and neither does he. She drops her gaze before finally following the kids down the hallway.

Donald feels like time has stopped. There’s no way his sister is gone. Nothing stops Della Duck. Nothing. At least that’s what he hopes.


	4. Chapter 4

It took a while for Donald to get his body to move. He left Scrooge in his study, and he followed Lena down the hall. She idled by the entrance to the hallway that contained the kids’ rooms. She turned to look at Donald when he approached.

“I should probably….. Go..” she says nervously, glancing at the door. Donald doesn’t say anything for a while.

“Do you want me to take you home?” he says finally. He flexes his fingers. They sting. Lena just kicks at a spot on the carpet. 

“No, it’s okay. You’ve got…. Your own things..” she looks up at him with an expression he can’t quite read. He just nods at her and he watches her let herself out. Donald sighs.

 

He turns to look down the hallway. The boys’ door was closed, but the light was still on. Webby’s door was also closed, but he heard talking on the other side, presumably Beakley talking with her granddaughter. Donald sighs again and knocks gently on his nephews’ door, but he receives no reply. He tries again and he only gets some incoherent mumble from the other side. He puts his hand on the doorknob, but before he can turn it he hesitates. He’s only their uncle, does he have any right to barge in? Even if to comfort them? He thinks for a while, hand on the doorknob, before he finally decides to open it. 

 

He cracks the door open only a little. Inside he sees all 3 of his nephews curled up on their respective bunks.

“Boys….” Donald says softly. “Are you okay?” Huey shifts on his bed to look at his uncle. He just shrugs and drops his gaze. Donald clears his throat and shuffles into the room a little.

“Listen.. We don’t… we don’t know what happened, but it’s not.. Guaranteed that something bad happened. There’s a lot of reasons we could have lost connection..” This time it’s Dewey who turns to look at his uncle.

“How can you be sure?” he asks earnestly. Donald looks at his nephews. He can’t help thinking about how small they all look. He’s missed them for so long. Donald only sighs.

“You just have to hope she’ll be alright. You guys know your mother right? You don’t think she’d let anything stop her right?” Donald moves to sit on the bottom bunk, Louie’s bed. “You boys know she would do anything for you guys, right? She’d do anything to get back here to you guys.” Donald reaches over and ruffles Louie’s head feathers. 

Louie looks back at his uncle, and before Donald can react he’s being hugged by the youngest of his three nephews. Donald wraps his arm around him comfortingly. He turns to see Huey climbing down from his own bunk to join them. Donald scoots over to allow the new edition. Soon enough Dewey makes his way into the hug as well. Donald makes sure to hold them all the best he can.

“We’ll figure something out tomorrow, okay? Maybe you boys should just head to bed, alright?” He looks down at the three kids clinging to him. Huey nods and slowly lets go. He makes his way back up to his bunk while Louie separates himself as well. Donald stands and lifts Dewey onto his own bunk. Donald heads for the doorway, shutting the light off as he does so. He looks at the boys one more time before he closes the door.

 

Donald wanders around the halls for a bit. He can’t stop himself from thinking about Della’s call. What had happened? It couldn’t have just been interference, because she told her passengers to calm down… He shook his head. He did not want to be thinking about this. He finally meandered his way back to his uncle’s study. The door was closed now. He knocked once before entering. Scrooge was hunched over his desk. The light was off.

“Uncle….. Scrooge..?” Donald asked cautiously, not leaving the doorway. Scrooge held his head in his hands. He sighed. Donald crossed the distance from the door to his uncle.

“Hey… come on. Let's get to bed, huh?” Donald tugged gently on Scrooge’s sleeve.

 

Scrooge lifted his head and looked at his nephew, he looked tired and somewhat miserable. Donald pulls his uncle to his feet before leading him out of the study and down the hall. Donald doesn’t say anything, and for a while, neither does Scrooge.

“How do you manage to be so level headed about this? The boys are upset, I’m already this bad…” He laughs weakly “She’s your sister, Donald.” Scrooge turns to look at his Nephew’s face. Donald continues to look straight ahead, not giving any indication of having heard. They walk in silence for a while until Donald finally answers.

 

“I have to have faith that Della can work her way out of whatever situation she’s in. And I know you and the kids have the same confidence in her, but you also need someone to be there to help, right?” Donald shifts his gaze to the floor “so what if it’s me?” Donald stops walking and it takes Scrooge a second to realize it’s because they’re in front of his room. 

“Donald… You don’t have to do that, you-” Donald just shakes his head.

“I know I know, I just don’t… I need to be there. I’ve spent too long.. Not being there.” Scrooge’s mouth goes dry and he opens his mouth to speak, but before he can Donald pipes up again.

“Good night Uncle Scrooge.” Donald steps forward and quickly embraces his uncle. 

 

Scrooge watches his nephew’s retreating back and he feels almost worse. He’s gone through trouble with Della before, he can handle it, the kids can too, it’s just the initial shock that scared them. Donald though. Donald was gone for four long years, and he when he finally returns home to his family, his sister is in trouble. If this situation ends bad he may never see her again. It’s a sobering thought but it’s true. Scrooge slowly opens his bedroom door and prepares himself for bed. He knew he should have updated the communications on Della’s ship, but she insisted on taking this next job first. Scrooge wracked his brain trying to remember what this job was supposed to be. Della was supposed to fly a client to … Greece was it? To pick up an artifact and then return home. Should be easy, but when you’re part of the McDuck family, nothing is ever easy. 

 

Scrooge sighed and closed his eyes. He fell asleep to thoughts of his family.

 

* * *

 

Beakley woke him up for breakfast. He didn’t bother to get dressed completely before heading down to get it. When he got to the dining room the kids were already there, and they all looked significantly less upset than they had last night. He was right about them being mostly upset due to shock, they had handled things like this before, always as a family. As Scrooge sat down in his usual seat, he surveyed the room and saw no sign of Donald. They always handled these things like a family, yes, but Scrooge couldn’t help but wonder how Donald fit into their family. 

 

The kids served themselves, and Scrooge did too. He didn’t say much, he was too busy lost in thought. When Donald was gone, they had missed him. When he first left, he spent all his time waiting for his nephew’s next letter. His sister was heartbroken, being seperated from her twin. Sure, they had gone separate ways, Della a pilot, Donald a sailor, but neither of them ever planned for it to go this far, for Donald to get drafted into the Navy. Scrooge never really kept up with the war itself, only ever with his nephew. Everyday he would wonder if Donald would survive long enough to come home. It was scary for his nephew to be on an ‘adventure’ like that by himself. Without his family. Scrooge remembers that he never actually got to talk to Donald one on one about it.

 

The kids chattered amongst themselves, about what, Scrooge wasn’t sure. Finally, Donald enters the room. He looked tired. Scrooge wondered how much sleep he got last night, or if he slept at all. The kids greeted their uncle with enthusiasm and Scrooge couldn’t help but smile at the way Donald got embarrassed by their affection for him. He sat on the opposite side of the table from them, only one chair away from Scrooge’s spot at the head of the table. Scrooge passed him the plate of bacon and Donald thanked him automatically.

 

“So,” Donald says between bites “What’s the plan?” Scrooge looks up from his tea.

“Oh. Well, I guess we just have to keep trying to regain contact.” the kids all look up from their breakfast to listen. “She was on her way home when we lost contact, so assuming she’s alright,” Scrooge glances at Donald “she should be home very soon. Today actually. Although if she encountered a storm she may have been delayed.” Donald just nods. The kids all look slightly troubled, but they all seem okay. Scrooge notices that Donald is watching them carefully.

 

Scrooge clears his throat and stands from his seat. 

“Once you’re all done with breakfast, get dressed and ready and we’ll call your mother.”

\------------

They all sat in the study, around Scrooge’s desk. The windows were open, a breeze blowing into the room every once in a while. The brightness of the room now was in great contrast to how dark and closed it had felt the day before. Scrooge had moved the phone onto the desk so everyone could see and hear it. He took a deep breath before dialing the plane’s number. They all waited silently as it rang, but no one picked up. Scrooge cleared his throat.

“Well, it’s good news that the phone actually rang. That means the communications still work…” Scrooge looked at the kids’ expressions. They weren’t exactly the most ecstatic that their mom didn’t pick up, but they agreed nonetheless. Donald just stared at the phone, as if he was still expecting his sister’s voice to sound through the speaker. Scrooge sighed.

 

“We’ll try again in….. An hour? Two hours?” Scrooge waited for input.

“Two hours sounds good,” Huey replies “Calling every hour might be too often” he reasoned. The remaining three kids nodded in agreement. 

“Well, in that case, that’s all for now. I’ll call you back in two hours.” Scrooge sits back down and puts the phone back in its place. The kids get up and leave, Scrooge wonders what they’re going to do when they wait. If it were him, he’d think too much about it to get anything else done. Donald remains in his spot, still staring at the spot the phone used to be. Scrooge stands and walks around his desk to his nephew’s side. He puts a hand on his back.

 

“Come on, lad. Let’s find something to do, shall we? You shouldn’t spend all your time worrying about it.” Donalds frown only deepens. Scrooge knows he can’t show too much pity toward his nephew, he knows Donald would not appreciate it one bit. Donald rises from his chair and Scrooge leads him to the garage.

“You tried to start your car a while ago, aye? How’d it go?” Scrooge questions, opening the door for his nephew. Donald lets out a chuckle before answering.

“Wouldn’t start, I don’t know what’s wrong with it.” He shakes his head before turning to face his uncle. “So what are we doing in here then?” Scrooge clears his throat awkwardly.

“Uh, we’re going to try and organize the garage.” Donald raises his eyebrow in response.

“You brought me here to help you clean up?” He crosses his arms.

“Well! Unless you’ve got something better to do then.” He smiles cheekily at his nephew. Donald just shrugs and moves to help Scrooge.

\-------------

Donald jumps when he hears his uncle yelp somewhere in the garage. He rushes to follow the sound, worried about what could have happened. There’s plenty of cursed and dangerous stuff in here, who knows what could have been set off-

“Lad! It’s been two hours! Lets go!” Scrooge rushes past his nephew, grabbing at Donald’s sleeve so he can drag him through the house. Donald sighs in exasperation. He had the nerve to be worried about his uncle,  _ the _ Scrooge McDuck… How silly. Scrooge seems to be enjoying himself, leading Donald around the mansion, gathering everybody for the next phone call. It reminds Donald of when he was a kid, and Scrooge would lead him and his sister just about anywhere. Of course, Donald was always more reluctant to go on adventures, into danger, but his uncle always insisted, always telling him it would end up alright, Donald frowned. He hoped it ended up alright.

 

Donald was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t notice they made it to the study. Everybody took their seats and Scrooge grabbed the phone. He dialed the number before setting the phone down on his desk, so everyone would be able to hear. It rang, and rang, and rang, but no one picked up the phone. Everyone deflated when the call finally terminated. 

“Alright. Back to waiting then?” Scrooge tried, everyone nodded but Donald could tell everyone was disappointed in the results. He was too, of course. All they wanted was to make sure Della was alright, but there wasn’t anything they could do but call and wait and hope.

 

“Ehm… anybody for a slightly late lunch?” Scrooge stood while everybody voiced their agreements, without much enthusiasm. They all filed out Scrooge’s study, Beakley heading straight to the kitchen while everybody else headed for the dining room. Donald hesitated before entering though, choosing diverting his path to the kitchen as well. Beakley gave him a look when he entered but he insisted on helping make lunch. Anything to distract himself. He liked cooking. She didn’t try to argue and for that he was grateful. She didn’t try any small talk either, and so they just cooked together in silence. 

 

Throughout the process he kept accidentally hurting his hand, flexing his fingers too much or doing something similar. It was annoying to be limited to one hand so he worked through it anyway. Even though the burns were on his left hand, it’s not like you don’t use both hands all the time. Soon enough though, with both of them working, they were able to finish lunch relatively quickly. It wasn’t anything too complicated, BLT’s and whatever left-over chips they had in the pantry. When they entered the dining room the kids and Scrooge were chattering away about something or another, but Scrooge immediately stopped when he noticed Donald.

 

“Aye! So  _ that’s _ where you got off to! I was wondering why you didn’t join us in here.” Donald laughed a little while setting down the plates he was holding.

“If you wanted to know where I was so badly, you could have checked,” Scrooge just waved dismissively in reply. Donald shook his head with a smile before he took his own seat. 

“I’m just surprised Ms. Beakley let you in the kitchen,” Louie jokes, poking at his sandwich. Donald chokes on his drink while the kids laugh at him.

“Hey! I’m not all bad! I made these sandwiches!” he cries in protest.

“Yeah, but my Granny helped you with those.” Webby points out, smiling into her cup.

“Well, those cookies he made yesterday were actually really good!” Dewey interjects.

 

Scrooge smiles as he watches his family argue about the validity of Donald’s cooking. They make Donald promise to cook some more so they can actually decide if his cooking is good or not. Ms. Beakley doesn’t look too excited about the idea but she doesn’t refuse. They all finished eating a while ago but none of them make a move to leave. They stay seated around the table, talking together as a family, and it’s nice. Scrooge finally gets to see Donald smile and laugh. It’s something he missed. He has no doubt that Donald missed it too. 

“Aye, are there any of those cookies you talked about left? I never got to try them,” Scrooge pipes up after a while. Donald turns to look at the kids, who all nod. Donald stands up to get them. 

 

When Donald returns the conversation had started up again. The kids didn’t lie, there were cookies left, not a whole lot, but still more than he had expected. Between four kids, and what he and Lena had eaten yesterday, he thought there should be maybe two left, tops. He set the cookies down on the table, and Scrooge grabbed one first before everyone else went at them. By the time Donald had made it to his side of the table, Scrooge had already taken a few bites. He turned to face Donald, nodding with his mouth full.

“I assume you like them, then?” Donald said, laughing at his uncle’s reaction. Scrooge polished off his cookie and reached for another.

“They’re right Donald! These are good.” Donald laughed, obviously embarrassed. He fiddled with the bandages on his hand while the others agreed. 

 

Donald grabbed the last cookie and glanced around the room for a clock. There wasn’t one. He looked at Scrooge to see if he noticed how much time has passed, probably more than two hours, but he was absorbed in whatever the conversation was. Donald didn’t feel the need to bring it up. He had a bad feeling that they might have to wait a while for results and answers, so he wasn’t about to interrupt everybody else’s good mood. Together they stayed, and they talked, and they had fun, and it was the most fun Donald had in too long.

But he couldn’t help feeling he didn’t deserve it.

Not without his sister.

\----------

Almost four hours passed before they tried to call again. The sun was sinking, bathing the room in a yellow-orange light. They sat around Scrooge’s desk again, waiting for him to dial the number. Donald held his breath while it rang. Everybody watched the phone intently, as if willing someone to pick up, but no one did. They had only been trying for a day, but Donald was already starting to feel discouraged. He could hear the others talking around him, but he wasn’t paying any attention. He shifted his gaze to the window, watching the sun lower behind the buildings of Duckburg. The glare off of the glass windows hurt his eyes but he didn’t look away. He wondered where his sister was right now. If she was alright. 

 

He didn’t notice Scrooge was trying to get his attention until he felt a hand on his shoulder, gently jostling him out of his thoughts. 

“Aye lad, are ye alright? We’re gonna give it a rest for today, the kids are putting on a movie.” Donald looked at his uncle first, before realizing the room was empty, save for them. Scrooge looked at his nephew expectantly. Donald just nodded before standing. Donald started making his way to the living room before Scrooge put a hand on his shoulder again, steering him a different direction. Donald just looked at his uncle questioningly.

“We’re using one of the other living rooms,” Scrooge explained. Donald snickered.

“That’s such a rich person thing to say, ‘one of the other living rooms’...” he laughed again. Scrooge laughed as well, continuing to lead Donald through the mansion.

“Well, I am  _ very _ rich..”

 

Scrooge steered Donald into the room everybody else was gathered in. The drapes were pulled shut but Donald could still see the remnants of the sunset shining through the fabric. It was a smaller room, by mansion standards, but that just made it cozy in Donald’s opinion. There was a decently large TV on the wall, and a couch situated directly in front of it. Bookshelves lined the two remaining walls, some filled with books, others with DVDs. Donald smiled fondly at them. He remembered this room, he used to come here with his sister all the time, to watch TV or movies without being in the way of their uncle or any visitors they had. It was far enough from Scrooge’s office they could turn the volume up higher than usual. 

 

Scrooge pushed him forward and Donald moved to find himself a spot on the couch. Most of it was already occupied, so he grabbed a spot on the end, Scrooge taking the spot directly to his right, so he ended up sandwiched between his uncle and his nephews. Donald turned his attention to the movie playing on the screen. It was only on the opening credits, but Donald didn’t recognize it. 

“It’s The Martian.” Huey supplied, as if he knew Donald was confused. Donald just nods, not taking his eyes off the screen.

 

Despite the fact it wasn’t actually that late, Donald managed to doze through part of the movie before Louie shook him awake, obviously amused at Donald’s inability to stay awake during movies. Donald stretched awkwardly and maneuvered himself off the couch, Scrooge settling halfway into his spot. 

“Taking a walk,” he said simply, as not to interrupt their movie, before he exited the room. Donald wandered the halls, something he seemed to do a lot. At some point he noticed his knee started to ache. Donald frowned. It  _ was _ doing fine lately, he wondered if the lifting in the garage had made it worse again. Without thinking he ended up at his room. He changed into some comfier pajama type clothes, making sure to grab his cane on the way out. 

 

He shouldn’t make it a habit to leave it behind, just in case he needs it for any reason. Maybe he should learn how to use it like Scrooge does, to whack people with or whatever he does during adventures. Donald chuckled to himself. He moved quickly to the movie room, hoping to at least catch the tail end of the movie before it was over. He opens the door just as the doorbell rings, sending a resounding chime through the speakers located throughout the mansion.

Everybody turns away from the screen to look at the door. Beakley moves to get up, but Donald waves his hand dismissively.

“It’s okay! I’m already up. I’ll get it.” He turns and leaves, taking yet another trek through the mansion. He walks with purpose this time though, hoping not to repeat the doorbell incident he had with Lena. He tries to look through the peephole but it’s too dark outside. Maybe Scrooge should invest in a porch light. He unlocks the deadbolt and swings open the door. The cool winter air rushes in to meet him. On the porch stands a woman, about his height. She’s rummaging through a bag, mouth running a mile a minute even though the door was barely opened.

“Finally! I know you’re old Scrooge, but I didn’t expect you to go to bed  _ this _ early,” she pauses, still rummaging through her bag. Donald squints at the woman, his eyes not adjusted to the dark. He grips his cane tightly in his hand.

“Man, you should have seen traffic, ridiculous! Haha, the airport was super busy too! The lights on the runway went out, it’s like I had Donald’s luck or something!” 

 

Donald’s blood runs cold. He stops breathing.

“Aha! Found it, I knew I had it in this bag! Here, look-” His heart jumps. He can barely get his voice to work.

 

“Della?”

 

Her head snaps up and her mouth falls open. She looks like she can’t believe what she’s seeing. 

 

“Donald?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey first i wanna thank everyone who left a comment!! as well as those who left kudos...epic.  
> Second uhh the POV switched a little throughout the chapter? i hope it didn't get too weird or awkward lol. Also yea i know im posting this really soon after the last chapter but think of it as making up for that long period of time where i didnt update lol. also i wrote this right after i wrote the last chapter and i got impatient and had to post it now. anyway! thanks 4 reading [peace sign]


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